Redskins

I remembered the video immediately, and how it was awesome on so many different levels. Watching it now it seems like it was yesterday, but so long ago at the same time. It’s been a half decade ago and Cooley and Portis have retired, well only Clinton officially. The Cooley Zone was one of the very best sports blogs on the Internet and I was both proud and lucky enough to be apart of it.

The Cooley Zone had some great posts that still hold up to this day, and if you search the site you’ll find pure blogging gold. Here’s a link to the highlights of 2008. Of course the only problem with blogging as an active athlete is how disgruntled fans and media can spin a video like this. If the Redskins win it’s laughs all around…if they lost then it was because Cooley & Portis don’t take their profession serious enough. I can promise you this, I’ve watched the Redskins for 30+ years and no players gave as much on the field as these two guys.

Thanks fellas for the memories on the field and for this 2 minute video, which is the best 2 minutes you’ll spend on the Internet (not including PornHub) today.

The Super Bowl is no longer just a game played for the Vince Lombardi trophy, it’s arguably the biggest entertainment event on the planet. The commercials may be paid more attention too than the actual plays on the field. The halftime show has been played by some of the biggest names in music during the past decade (Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones & Bruce Springsteen among others) and the National Anthem also brings out the best musical acts in the world. However, things were much different 30 years ago when the Redskins played in Super Bowl XVII.

Sgt. Callahan from Police Academy sang the National Anthem. Leslie Easterbrook is more well known for her rack than she is her singing voice. At the time, Police Academy hadn’t even come out yet…so a few Americans may’ve recognized her as the neighbor from Laverne & Shirley. We’ve got serious star power here! Easterbrook would go on to reprise her role as Callahan in all 7 Police Academy movies and appear in another 80′s comedy Private Resort. She may not have been an impressive opening act for a Super Bowl but she does have a place in my early teen spank bank.

The halftime entertainment was brought to you by the Los Angeles Super Drill Team. The drill team performed something called the “KaleidoSUPERscope”…no word on whether they had any wardrobe malfunctions. Not sure if the Los Angeles “Super Drill Team” was a bunch of road workers, work release prisoners or male porn stars.

The entertainment for the Redskins appearance in Super Bowl XLVIII will be announced later in the year.

Editors Note:

In honor of this post I’d like to give a shout out to Ken & Kevin from Hogs Haven. You can find them doing their podcast weekly from the Blue Oyster.

For the first time in years the Redskins have the luxury of depth on their roster as they prepare for the 2013 season. The battle for roster spots will be intense and the Skins will have to let a couple of quality players go when the dust settles. Who will stay and who will go? Here’s a few predictions that I have on the offensive side of the ball.

Rex Grossman will make the team

Grossman didn’t appear in a game all last season (this is a good thing) and is no danger of beating out Kirk Cousins for the backup QB job. However, the Shanahans are comfortable with Grossman and may be his biggest fans. If Shanahan sticks to his plan to not play RG3 all of training camp, I believe he’ll want the security of Grossman on the roster heading into week 1. Of course, the Skins could cut Grossman and bring him back after week 1, so his contract isn’t guaranteed for the entire season. Either way, he’ll be on the team at least for the early part of the season and I believe the Skins will be willing to guarantee his contract at $950,000 and have him on the roster on opening day.

Evan Royster will be cut

Here’s the problem with Royster, his best chance to make the team is as a third down back and special teams player and he’s not good at either. He lacks big-play explosiveness and is a below average receiver and pass blocker. The writing was on the wall for him when the Redskins drafted Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison. If either of those players play well in preseason and Roy Helu Jr. is healthy, Royster will be looking for a new team.

Donte Stallworth makes the team

This is the long shot of long shots and another player who’s a candidate to be cut before week 1 only to be brought back due to being vested veteran. However, this is another guy who has a big fan in Mike Shanahan. Stallworth played decent for the Skins in 2011 and Shanny wanted to bring him back last season but Stallworth signed with the Patriots. He’ll be competing with Devery Henderson and Dezmon Briscoe for the 6th WR spot…Aldrick Robinson definitely makes the team. I remember how well Stallworth played on special teams in 2011 and I believe that will be the difference. Briscoe didn’t dress for many games last season because he doesn’t play special teams and blew opportunies on offense when he did dress.

I also believe that if healthy Mo Hurt makes this team, his versatility on the O-line will force someone (not sure who) out.

I love this picture that ran in The DC Issue of ESPN The Magazine back in October 2012. Believe it or not, I’ve had this picture sitting on an end table beside my lazy-boy for nearly 6 months with the intention of posting the picture. Well, they don’t call it a lazy boy for nothing…my blogging has been sporadic at best over that time. Anyway, I digress.

I see that the picture was blogged about before over at the DC Sports Bog. The key to the picture was not posted on that site but I’m posting it here today. Of course, the fun to the picture is trying to name each of the 29 DC Sports Greats without cheating. So give that a shot before scrolling down to the bottom to find the answers.

The debate of the picture is to ask if this is indeed the 29 greatest DC has too offer? If we are talking greatest of all-time the answer is no. While Bryce Harper may earn a ticket on the boat in the future, one decent season shouldn’t get him on it today. Same goes for Stephen Strasburg. John Wall, really? Only 1 Georgetown Hoya is represented, only 3 Washington Capitals. Several Hall of Fame Washington Redskins are left off and Gilbert Arenas is one of the representatives for the Washington Bullets/Wizards…loved him but FAIL.

So who would you kick off the boat? Who would you replace them with?

Cheers and Hail

Editors note: Sometime over the last 6 months my 8 year old son decided to color in 5 athletes in the key. Not sure how he randomly chose the 5?

In this day in age when running backs are considered over the hill at 30, when salary caps restrict teams from signing core players/fan favorites (see Alexander, Lorenzo) it’s hard to imagine a team negotiating with a 36 year old running back with a bad back and 2 bad hips. However, that’s exactly what the Redskins did with future Hall of Fame Running Back John Riggins during training camp in 1985. The 17 day holdout would result in Riggins receiving the largest 1 year contract in the history on the NFL for a running back, $825,000…not exactly chump change 28 years ago. To recap…hold-out running back, 36 yrs old, bad back and hips…but wait there’s more!!!

Riggins was just 3 weeks removed from an arrest for being drunk-in-public in Reston, VA. The drunk-in-public charge came just a few months after the famous “loosen up, Sandy baby, you’re too tight” comment to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at a black tie Congress dinner. Riggins quieted up after he blurted that comment…as he passed out under the dinner table. Now we’re dealing with a broken down running back with a drinking problem!!!

You have to admit that Riggins had a set of brass balls on him. While he had a nice season in 1984 (1,239 yds rushing & 14 TD’s), age and injury were clearly stacked against him. In addition, you had the drinking issues along with the fact that the Redskins had traded for George Rogers the previous off season. Rogers was just 27 years old and had accumulated 4,267 yards rushing in 4 seasons. Riggins held out while his chosen replacement was learning the offense.

In the end Riggins had the only ally he needed on his side, Head Coach Joe Gibbs. Gibbs was loyal to Riggins and convinced Jack Kent Cooke to open the checkbook one more time for the Diesel. The 1985 season would be Riggins last season in the NFL. Riggo played in 12 games, starting 11 and rushed for 677 yards and 8TD’s.

I first heard this song on WPRW on the AM radio of my parents car way back in the day. Over the years I had randomly searched for the tune thru Google & Youtube but never had any luck. Truthfully, my memories had failed me and I thought the song had been about Dave Butz and I thought the hook was “Big Bad Butz”. Thus the reason I never found the song. Luckily, Redskins fan Brendan Severo (@MWCRedskin) tweeted out a link to this video. I have transcribed the words below…I love this song and I’m glad I now have my memory straight.

Ps…Good luck getting this song out your head, your welcome. FP

Big John, Big John

From Deep in the heartlands where the buffalo roam
Came an American Legend called Centralia his home
He stood 6’2’’ weighed 245
Folks say he was the fastest white man alive
Big John

Big John, Big John

Well the playoffs would start & expectations was high
He went in Joe Gibbs office looked him square in the eye
Lookie here Joe I plan on winning it all
& the only way to do it is by giving the ball
To Big John

Big John, Big John

Well he ran thru the Lions like crap thru a goose
& what they did to Minnesota some called it abuse
The chant “we want Dallas” started shaking the stands
Big John didn’t disappoint none of the fans
Behind Grimm & Jacoby, Bostic & Starke
He stomped on them Cowpokes like it was a walk in the park
One thing stood between Big John & his goal
Had to Skin him some Dolphins in the ultimate bowl

Big John, Big John

We was trailing by 4 with time running out
Coach sent in a play that left little doubt
He called 70 Chip & Didier went in motion
Then he ran the other way, he caused a big commotion
Big John took the ball bust out like a torpedo
Swatted that fella McNeil like he was a mosquito
Well he scored a touchdown & we won the game
& Big John kept running right to the Hall of Fame